Hoyer: Republicans Will Sink America To Drown Obama

Add House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) to the list of high profile Democrats who are publicly accusing Republicans of intentionally undermining the economy in order to defeat President Obama.

"There's no intention on behalf of the Republicans in the House of Representatives to try to help the president move this country forward," Hoyer told a small group of reporters in his Capitol office on Thursday morning. "I quote Jesse Jackson, who I thought said it best, there are a lot people in Washington who want to drown the captain and are prepared to sink the ship in order to do so."

Hoyer joins Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and others who say the House GOP's refusal to adopt even bipartisan measures like funding for transportation projects, and the renewed brinksmanship over the debt limit suggest that Republicans are engaged in deliberate economic sabotage.

About The Author

Brian Beutler is TPM's senior congressional reporter. Since 2009, he's led coverage of health care reform, Wall Street reform, taxes, the GOP budget, the government shutdown fight and the debt limit fight. He can be reached at brian@talkingpointsmemo.com